Backstage WWE Rumors on AJ Styles, Oba Femi, and More

On the heels of the 2026 Royal Rumble, and with the Road to WrestleMania 42 underway, the wrestling rumor mill is working overtime, churning out insider reports about some of the biggest and brightest stars in the industry.

Topics include plans for Oba Femi, where newcomer Royce Keys will land on the main roster, and the expected main event of WrestleMania 42 for the SmackDown brand.

First, though, AJ Styles raised eyebrows with his first podcast appearance post-retirement.

AJ Styles on the Meaning of Not Leaving His Gloves

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Fresh off his retirement at the Royal Rumble following his loss to Gunther, AJ Styles appeared on What's Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon and discussed the meaning behind him not leaving his gloves in the ring.

The Phenomenal One took off his gloves after his defeat but swiftly put them back on again.

"I don't know [why I kept the gloves on]. I don't know," Styles said. "Never say never, right? That's the saying. I think everybody's allowed at least once to come out of retirement. I'm not saying that I'll do it anytime soon....What if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once, you never know. So, there'll be a time when the gloves never go back on. It may be now, but we'll see."

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported: "AJ Styles was a big topic of conversation at AEW last week. Nobody seems to know his official status, but if he becomes available, everyone we spoke to in AEW believes he will be approached by them."

Styles' commitment to not committing to retirement fully will only fuel the speculation that he is going to suit up again outside of WWE, perhaps for All Elite Wrestling. Maybe he puts the gloves back on for a run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling or returns to TNA for one last shot at that company's top title.

Whatever the case may be, Styles does not sound nearly as resigned to retirement as the conclusion of his loss to Gunther might suggest.

Is Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar On the Horizon?

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Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar engaged in a staredown that was one of the most memorable moments of the men's Rumble match, and it seems it will not be the last time they face off in a WWE ring.

Dave Meltzer reported that, while the teased contest is not 100 percent confirmed for WrestleMania 42, it could well be on the card.

With no other clear direction for Lesnar at this point, and a clear and concentrated effort by the creative team to introduce Femi as the next big star in WWE, it would make sense to put them in the same ring and let them create that battle of the behemoths that WrestleMania last featured in 2023, when The Beast bested Omos.

With that said, if the goal is not to put Femi over, it is a match WWE should avoid. Lesnar gains nothing from a win, while The Ruler would be elevated by defeating the former WWE champion.

If that isn't the endgame, it's best to keep them apart.

Update on Royce Keys

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Bodyslam+ reported Royce Keys was backstage at Monday's Raw but will be a SmackDown competitor moving forward.

The former Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW debuted during the men's Rumble match on Saturday, entering at No. 14 and eliminating Damian Priest before Bronson Reed dumped him just under 10 minutes later.

With the revelation that he will be appearing on SmackDown moving forward, perhaps the elimination of former world champion Priest will result in the start of a rivalry between them.

Regardless of who catches Keys' eye first, the big man turned down a five-year deal from AEW to join WWE and has a bright future ahead of him. That he will be on the same brand as longtime friend/mentor Cody Rhodes can only help him acclimate to the WWE way of doing things.

Likely WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania

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Meltzer reported for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the likely SmackDown main event for WrestleMania 42 will see Drew McIntyre defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu in a Triple Threat match.

Lending credence to that report is what unfolded at the Royal Rumble, when The Scottish Warrior directly cost Rhodes a victory in the men's match, then provided a distraction that allowed Roman Reigns to eliminate Fatu.

The involvement of Fatu is welcome, as the Rhodes-McIntyre matches to this point have been good, solid contests, but the idea of another one-on-one battle between them on the grand stage, after seeing the pairing so often already, is not necessarily appealing.

Adding an unpredictable force like Fatu, his desire for championship gold, and the mystery surrounding who attacked him and cost him a shot at the title in the first place, is exactly the injection of energy the program needs to make it to The Showcase of the Immortals.

How they get there via the upcoming Elimination Chamber premium live event on February 28 remains to be seen, but that match would instantly improve the perceived main event and create intrigue around the potential outcome.